Archive By Section - Local

As the amount of groundwater that Californians pump during the historic drought is getting higher, land in the San Joaquin Valley is getting lower-sinking actually-faster than ever before according to a new NASA report that was released by the Department of Water Resources.

Now that school is back in session, the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District is urging the public to minimize vehicle emissions associated with back-to-school traffic, such as idling when dropping off students, in order to successfully close a record-setting clean air summer season.

Rosa De Léon Park has been helping the Stanislaus Council of Governments develop transportation strategies that benefit both local communities and the region as a whole for the past six years and will now take on a bigger role for the agency as its new executive director.

The Stanislaus County Fairgrounds will soon be abuzz with all things Assyrian- food, historical exhibits and live entertainment-as the 2015 Central Valley Assyrian Festival strives to make a lasting impression in Turlock by immersing the community in the "culture that started it all."

Director and producer Juan Carlos Oseguera hopes that his documentary film "The Fight for Water: A Farm Worker Struggle" will not only personify the water shortage afflicting the state, but enlighten individuals about the severity of the drought that has been scorching the region for the past four years.

The drought is tightening its grip on California agriculture, squeezing about 30 percent more workers and cropland out of production than in 2014, according to the latest drought impact report by the UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences.

Turlock Fire Chief Tim Lohman celebrated his retirement on Friday at Turlock Fire Station 1 among family, friends and the local community. During the ceremony, Lohman said that he could not have done anything without his family and advised his fellow firefighters to enjoy every minute of their careers and to not "sweat the small stuff." Having served in the Turlock Fire Department for the past 35 years, Lohman now plans to assume a new position as the chief executive officer of the almond cooperative Northern Merced Hulling Association.

The City of Turlock has revamped its Home Water Survey Kits and they have just arrived. These water survey kits are a great way for residents to audit their water usage themselves. It will allow customers to see how efficient they are with their water use as well as identify areas for improvement.